yachtmaster preparation course

Yachtmaster Preparation & Exam - One week prep & assessment

This intensive coaching session will help prepare you for the examination which gives you the most respected yachting qualification in the world. You must arrive fully prepared in your sailing ability and with a full knowledge of navigational theory. Practice complex sailing skills with guidance from one of our senior instructors and gain confidence from working under pressure. Our 6 day course means you will receive 4 days full exam preparation/practice time prior to commencement of your exam. Prepare a theoretical passage plan for presentation to your RYA examiner who will independently assess your theory and practical knowledge and skills.

Note: We offer a “ Boat Handling ” combined with advanced sailing skills course in the week preceding this preparation and exam week.

1 week (6 full days sailing)

Pre Course Experience

We will send you a document listing all the disciplines that can be tested by the examiner. For YM Offshore you will be tested on a) MOB under sail & b) Navigation tactics in fog (blind navigation).

Assumed Knowledge

Yachtmaster theory knowledge including IRPCS!!! Ideally you have successfully completed RYA Tidal Coastal Skipper Practical completion certificate - this course teaches you the sailing skills & techniques required to further practice & pass an RYA exam.

Course Content

6 days - 4 days preparation time followed by exam (depending on number of candidates). Drilling and honing the skills. Execute theoretical passage plan (supplied by us!) for presentation to your examiner

Saloon berth €1290

Panel divided twin cabin berth €1290 pp

Single occupancy cabin €1420 (one person)

Double cabin €2580 (couple sharing)

Availability

Contact us for availability

Yachtmaster for Sail and Power (Only available on Amazon) Yachtmaster Exercises for Sail and Power (Only available on Amazon)

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Course content

Below is a list of the disciplines you will practice leading to your RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore or Coastal Yachtmaster Exam with Canary Sail

• Passage planning
• Man Over Board
• Managing yacht and crew
• Navigation in poor visibility
• Position fixing/finding
• Yacht handling
• Sailing on/off bouys, berth and anchor

Typical Itinerary for Week

Day 1 (saturday) – travel / arrival day.

We will meet and welcome you at 17.00 in the San Miguel Marina/ Amarilla Golf in Tenerife South and settle you onto your yacht. You are then invited to join us for drinks to meet the team, your instructors and fellow students or crew who start their full week courses with us. You will be made very welcome by the Canary Sail team and we can advise the best restaurants for you to sample!

Day 2 (Sunday) 

You will participate in workshop style and fully detailed safety brief on board. You will be asked to prepare the boat for departure and almost always be taken out for a sailing/MOB session in the wind acceleration zone (WAZ) just off the harbour wall. You will also be given an opportunity to get used to handling your yacht in confined spaces.

Day 3 (Monday)

Boat handling in and around the marina before departure to our local sailing area to learn and practice advanced sailing and navigational drills and skills.

Day 4 & 5 (Tuesday & Wednesday)

Plenty of yacht handling and sailing exercises including passage making, pilotage at day and at night, blind navigation, MOB, sailing on/off with the opportunity to work on your passage plan in preparation for presentation to the examiner.

Day 6 & 7 (Thursday & Friday)

Wednesday evening or Thursday morning, your instructor will introduce you to your examiner and leave the yacht. The rest is then up to you – good luck with your exam! Completion is normally on the afternoon of day 7, Friday.

Day 8 – (Saturday) – Departure / Return Travel Day/Day off for those clients staying on

Leave the yacht at 09.00 latest please for your return home or to continue your holiday in Tenerife. Please see our stay page for accommodation .

Exclusive Course Yacht option for couples, families or groups on 36 to 50ft cruise yachts.

This Yachtmaster Exam assessment week is not a course! The Yachtmaster Prep & Exam week offers just 4 days of exam preparation, comprising of intense “Drills & Skills” practice of the sailing a docking exercises. Theory is also tested – not taught! There is no time for teaching new techniques. These should be covered before one arrives – fully prepared for the Exam week.

The prerequisites for this exam week are a total of 2500 sea miles covered under sail in the last 10 years, half of which must be conducted in tidal waters. At Offshore level, 5 x 60NM or longer passages are required, 2 as skipper and 2 overnight. Ideally, some formal sail training using traditional methods of chart navigation is a significant advantage to the candidate. Very sound knowledge of Navigational Theory and Collision Regulations is a must!

This Yachtmaster Exam Prep & Exam is run over a 6-day period. For the prep practice and testing of knowledge, drills and skills, your RYA Instructor has just 4 days with a max of 4 candidates on board to prepare for the remaining 2 days of assessment when your Prep instructor steps off the yacht and is replaced by an independent RYA Examiner.

Whether the candidate is successful or not in passing the exam, one gains great benefit from participation in such an intense training week. On passing the Exam, the resultant Certificate will help reduce yacht insurance premiums, both privately and for Yacht Charter. This certificate is the International “door opener” into the prestigious world of the Super Yacht and Professional Sailing Industry.

Yes, the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal, and in particular Offshore Certificate is widely accepted internationally, both by Yacht Charter Companies and in the pursuit of a Professional Sailing Career.

A theoretical Passage Plan will be presented to each candidate, comprising of Almanac, Charts, Weather Synopsis and all the material necessary to pre-prepare a Passage Plan. For those training in the week(s) leading to this exam week, these will be handed out early. During the exam, passage plans will be presented by each candidate to the examiner. In addition, the examiner will test depth of knowledge of any aspect of navigational theory, and Collision Regulations – e.g. Buoyage, Lights Shapes, Sounds, etc. 

Contact us for further details

A wide range of practical and theory courses offered all year round

Choose from a variety of sail cruises around the Canary Islands and beyond

From Bareboat to skippered charter, we have an option to suit your needs

ACCOMMODATION

Recommended accommodation options in La Gomera and Tenerife

Phone any time on our UK Divert No. (UK call cost): 0044 1252 837648 Phone (USA): 001 855 866-5566 Phone (Spain): 0034 922 141 967

[email protected]

Company Address: Marina San Miguel Urbanizacion Amarilla Golf 38639 San Miguel de Abona Santa Cruz de Tenerife Islas Canarias Espana

Postal Address : Apartado de Correos 211 38800 San Sebastián de la Gomera Islas Canarias Espana

Office opening hours: Monday-Closed Tuesday-Friday 08.30-15.30

Calls diverted outside of office hours, excluding Mondays. Please send us an email and your enquiry will be dealt with promptly.

Please use the form below to email us with your enquiry

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Canary Sail offers year-round sailing courses, cruising, and yacht charters from their base in South Tenerife, just 15 minutes from TFS Airport. They provide comprehensive RYA training, covering over 100 nautical miles and visiting multiple ports. With experienced instructors and a focus on quality, they attract many returning clients and referrals.

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Looking to hire a yacht, take a sailing course or maybe just relax on a boat in the Canaries? With over 20 years experience we offer an unrivalled range of RYA Courses.

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Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

How to pass your Yachtmaster exam

• Chris Beeson
• September 16, 2015

The global standard of sailing qualifications is achievable for any experienced, competent skipper. Tom Cunliffe explains how to pass your Yachtmaster exam

The only certificates accepted by the authorities are those issued after an at-sea examination. To become a fully-fledged Yachtmaster, the practical test is the only one that counts Credit: Graham Snook/YM

Tom Cunliffe is an RYA Yachtmaster examiner. He has passed and failed hundreds of Yachtmaster candidates over the years

We in the UK are exceedingly fortunate. Just as the English language is the best bet for a world traveller, our very own RYA/MCA Yachtmaster qualification happens to be the global standard for sailing. It’s required for anyone planning to become a professional and, thanks to the continuing efforts of the RYA, Brits who sail for leisure still don’t have to carry any proof of competence in home waters. Despite this blessed lack of regulation, the Yachtmaster certificate remains the logical target of many a self-motivated sailor. It also represents the icing on the cake for those looking for the reassurance of an external assessment.

Courses and exams

Yachtmaster training can take place on a boat or in a classroom. A shore-based course, either at desks in a school or via the increasingly popular Internet distance learning programmes, ends with a Yachtmaster theory exam. Success in this will help a student in subsequent qualification upgrades, but it is not officially recognised. The only certificates accepted by the authorities are those issued after an at-sea examination – the Yachtmaster Practical . To become a fully-fledged Yachtmaster, this practical test is the one that really counts.

Yachtmaster Prep

Meteorology matters: a favourite with examiners is to produce a weather map and invite you to analyse it. Be ready and know your subject

This is a non-RYA course and, as such, has no official status or syllabus. However, it is run successfully by many RYA sailing schools to prepare candidates for an examination which generally follows on at the end. Up to four students spend several days together on the boat in which they will be examined. The benefits are that they get to know one another and their yacht under the guidance of a highly qualified Yachtmaster Instructor. The general feeling is that these tutors can’t teach you much you don’t already know in a week, but that they are very good at coaching the best out of those skills you already have. Prep courses are great for brushing up on how to jump through the various hoops an examiner may set up. What they can’t do is make someone who doesn’t have suitably constructive mileage into the confident skipper examiners are looking for.

Coastal or Offshore – what’s my level?

Recently, the old Coastal Skipper ticket has been superseded by the new ‘Yachtmaster Coastal’ certificate. The qualifying mileage for this MCA-recognised qualification is 800, with passage and night-hour requirements being relaxed in comparison with ‘Yachtmaster Offshore’, which keeps its 2,500-mile entry level. Either is a proper Yachtmaster qualification and can be described as such. Only the often-dropped suffix distinguishes the two. The syllabi are identical, the variant is the rigour of the examination. Apply for ‘coastal’ and the examiner, recognising that you have less sea-time, will be more inclined to cut you a bit of slack.

The RYA has noted that most candidates are really only making ‘coastal-status’ passages. In real terms, this includes an annual trip across the Irish Sea, the North Sea or the Channel in a calculated weather window, which is very different from setting off from Ramsgate towards Norway with five days and potentially serious conditions ahead of you. The implications should be clear: unless you need the Offshore ticket for professional reasons, if in doubt, go for Coastal.

Preparing yourself and the boat

A relaxed candidate with a mug of tea makes a better impression than a harassed-looking one

If you’ve signed on with a sailing school, you’ll be stuck with the boat you’re given. You can be confident that this yacht ticks all the official boxes by being coded for commercial use, but while some are very up-together, others are not. If the boat is generally sloppy and scruffy, you can at least make an effort to stow the mainsheet in a seamanlike manner while you are nominally skipper.

Neatly coiled lines reflect well on the skipper

You can also ensure that fenders are hung at the same level, sharpen up the guardrails and see that things generally look as though somebody knows the difference and cares. Then the examiner won’t hold the ratty lifebuoys and the smelly bilge against you.

Mind that your dress and demeanour don’t make a bad first impression

Try to be ready in good time so that you aren’t involved in a last-minute kerfuffle. If you’re relaxing in the cockpit with a mug of tea when the examiner arrives, he or she will be more impressed than if you’re frantically working out tidal heights and scuffling through the chart table. Wear sensible kit. Don’t worry if it’s not this season’s fashion. My examiner turned up in an old duffel coat back in 1978 and I think I was wearing a canvas smock and a flat cap, but the smock was freshly laundered and the cap was right way round…

The main thing is that you can sail, but an examiner is always pleased to be freed of any hassle with the paperwork. Most of us are no better with admin than you are, so make our lives easy by producing an up-to-date first aid ticket and all the rest, plus a cheque made out to the RYA – not the examiner, perish the thought!

Passage planning

Your passage plan should be realistic. Keep it simple and be ready to adapt and update as things develop

You may be given the opportunity to produce a passage plan before the examiner arrives. If so, make it realistic. Don’t plot every course to the last degree. After all, you don’t know what speed you’ll make or what the wind will really do. Check tidal gates, distances, viable alternatives and the weather. Look at any hazards, sort out a time to leave and have a plan for updating as things develop. That’s about what you’d do if there were no exam, and that’s what I, at least, want to see.

Examination on your own boat

A nicely level line of fenders sends a good signal to the examiner

You don’t have to go to a sailing school to be a Yachtmaster. I love it when a candidate asks to be examined without training on his own boat. Don’t worry if she isn’t coded. There’s no legal requirement that she should be. Most of mine haven’t been either, and I couldn’t care less.

As an examiner, I want to see that your priorities are sound and that you’re thinking clearly and for yourself. On the day, the yacht must be clean, tidy and seamanlike. Waterline crisp, sail covers Bristol fashion, not looking like some poor bird with a broken wing, ropes carefully stowed, a comprehensive chart kit for the waters to be sailed, the makings of a meal plus snacks and, of course, everything that counts should be working.

What the examiner is looking for

Feeling relaxed in close quarters

Competent, confident boathandling counts well in your favour

If there’s one thing that will upset an examiner, it isn’t that you forgot to put on your lifejacket, it’s that he feels insecure when you begin manoeuvring in a marina. Take it from me, there’s nothing worse than sitting at the backstay wondering what you’re going to hit. If the boat slides sweetly out of her berth with everyone knowing what’s required and no shouting, then moves away easily with the examiner confident you’re in charge, that you’ve checked the next alleyway for collision risk, that your choice of speed is sensible and efficient and that it never enters his head to feel anxious, you’re well on the way to a pass after five minutes. No course can teach you this. It can only tick the box confirming you’ve managed it once or twice. The rest is up to you and your sea time.

Wind awareness

You should always be aware of the true wind direction and how it will influence any manoeuvres

Here’s another subject you can’t learn on a prep course. Knowing where the wind is and how it relates your position to any impending manoeuvres is critical. I often ask a candidate where the wind is coming from when he’s approaching a situation we both know will involve some sort of gyration under sail. If he looks instinctively at the masthead or, worse still, an instrument set to apparent wind, he’s dropped a bagful of points. At this stage, his mind should be setting up where the boat will best be placed to make her critical turns. Apparent wind isn’t going to help him much. What he should be doing is glancing at the water and noting the tiny ripples to assess what the true wind is actually doing. I’m often amazed at how many folk have never been shown how to do this. Racing sailors can handle it in their sleep, because they need to predict windshifts, but cruisers tend to get lazy, so make sure you can read the wind.

Good sailing

No need for incessant, race-style tweaking, but pay due attention to sail trim while the yacht is under way. If there’s a mainsheet traveller, use it

Ensure that the genoa sheet leads are properly positioned for the point of sail you’re on

Lovely: both mainsail and genoa set up with the right amounts of tension and twist

All examiners hate to see a yacht sloppily sailed on passage. Make sure that your crew are using the traveller, that genoa fairleads are properly positioned, that the main is well set up with kicker and mainsheet tension for twist. Above all, do not sail over-sheeted. It’s a dead giveaway that you just haven’t been out there enough yet.

Too much staring at the plotter screen betrays nervousness

In the days before GPS set navigators free, people used to fail exams by what we called ‘sailing the chart table’ rather than skippering the yacht. Assuming the test to be all about some sort of imagined ‘correct navigational practice’, candidates nailed themselves to the navigatorium when they should have been up on deck directing operations and watching out for the ship coming up astern that was suddenly looking bigger every moment. Well, guess what? Nothing has changed. This remains a big problem with neophyte Yachtmasters.

Sail the boat, not the chart table

The secret is to plan well, then nip below every so often on passage to keep an eye on what’s going on in the chart department and whizz back on deck pronto to carry on skippering the boat. I’ll lay a pound to a penny it’s what you do when there’s no examiner on board, so have the confidence to back your own usual practices. This is particularly important at night in crowded waters. An unsuccessful candidate often fails himself by allowing disorientation to creep in, simply by not keeping the true perspective on events, which can only be found on deck.

The use of electronic nav-aids such as GPS is not ‘cheating’ – it’s an integral part of navigation

All examiners have their own take on use of electronics. Personally, I want to know my candidate is making modern aids to navigation, including a chart plotter if there one, an integral part of his navigational policy. The idea, as one candidate suggested, that use of GPS is somehow ‘cheating’ is incomprehensible to me. I will almost certainly ask at some stage that the yacht be navigated classically, to see how easy my man is with what, for most people, are now backup skills. If I’m unconvinced by his performance, off he goes to think again.

Your chartwork should be fluid and accurate

Skilled chartwork comes with use, and no amount of last-minute swotting can make up for weeks of doing it as a matter of course. Plotting traditional fixes is a good giveaway these days. With GPS all around us, we only do this for real when electronics fail. I’ve seen a person take 15 minutes to select three objects from a background studded with lights, then plot the results. The yacht had moved over two miles in the meantime…

It’s absolutely vital that you maintain a decent logbook during the exam

It’s absolutely vital, whether navigating with a giant chart plotter or a Walker log, that you maintain a decent log book. Without this, if GPS fails for any reason at all, you’re lost, Mate, so is your exam, and quite right too!

Take command

One of the most important questions on most examiners’ private lists is how good the candidate is at taking charge. If he’s managing well, we probably won’t even notice that he’s in command, that his crew all know what’s expected of them and that their skipper is quietly checking that they’re doing it. Good leadership is seldom about barking orders, and never about ignoring all on board, yet leadership is what being a Yachtmaster is all about. First, you must be sufficiently comfortable with your own skill levels not to have to worry about little things like picking up a mooring. Only then can you consider what may go wrong for the poor soul on the foredeck in a gale at midnight.

The classic skills

These are what most people imagine success in an exam is based upon. Actually, these basic skills merely help an examiner build up an overall picture of the candidate. It’s generally not a hanging matter if one manoeuvre goes a bit haywire. Even a grounding is often more interesting for what the candidate does about it than for the fact that it has happened. After all, nobody is perfect, especially under the stress of an exam.

Man overboard

An effective, confidently executed man overboard drill speaks volumes about a candidate’s boat-handling ability but it’s not necessarily curtains if the manoeuvre goes a bit haywire

Errors in principle are not popular with examiners. Mistakes under pressure may sometimes be forgiven, and man overboard is a case in point. If the boat sails past the dummy with her mainsail full and the examiner asks, ‘What went wrong?’ It won’t get you much of a score if you reply, ‘I was going too fast.’

‘Candidate’s speciality, stating the bleeding obvious,’ the examiner will note on his pad, and move on, downhearted.

However, if you say, ‘I’m kicking myself because I was too far upwind and couldn’t de-power the main. I tried to get onto a close reach but I misjudged my approach,’ he’s more likely to take a lenient view – especially if you’ve opted for ‘Coastal’.

Securing the yacht alongside

When I was examining instructors regularly, I’d often sail up to Poole Quay (a tidal wall) shortly before closing time. I’d hop off the boat as soon as she touched the piling, saying, ‘You sort her out, skipper, I’m off for a quick pint.’ I’d then do just that. When I returned 10 minutes later, if the yacht was neatly snugged down with four lines ashore, ends on the dock, a fender board in place, sails neatly stowed and all hands below cooking and relaxing, the guy was in good shape for a pass. If I found discussions on deck about whether to ‘hand the end back for a spring’, and people blundering about in the dark, things didn’t look so bright for our hero. Have a system and know how to execute it.

… and don’t forget

Mooring and anchoring

Mooring and anchoring under sail should present no challenge to the aspiring Yachtmaster. When in doubt, drop the mainsail

These are Day Skipper skills that should pose no threat to a Yachtmaster candidate. Under sail, just remember first to assess whether the wind is with or against the tide. If you get lucky and it’s against, drop the main and arrive stemming the stream, spilling under headsail or creeping along under bare poles. If wind and tide are at all ambiguous, never forget the old adage – when in doubt, drop the mainsail.

Meteorology

As forecasting has become more comprehensive and accessible, I’ve noticed a reduction in candidates’ capacity to understand what’s going on and to read a bulletin creatively. Anyone who can’t describe the typical cloud sequence on a North Atlantic depression gets nil points from me, and failure to understand the basics of air masses is going to run up a black mark too. A favourite with examiners is to produce a weather map and invite their Yachtmaster to analyse it. Be ready, and know your subject.

Tom sees no reason not to have a chart in the cockpit, but some examiners disapprove of it. Be ready to justify your choice

Many candidates produce excellent pilotage plans for entering a strange harbour. I’m happy with that, and most examiners love it. Personally, I prefer to sketch a few notes on the actual chart and have it in the cockpit held down with a winch handle, yet I’ve met examiners who’d be horrified to see a chart on deck at all. So there you have it. Do what suits you best, then be ready to justify your choice. Actually, this advice is good across the board. The examiner wants to see what you really do, not some fantasy you’ve cooked up because you think he might like it. That is a weak candidate’s policy and it often backfires.

No shortcuts here, you just need to know your stuff – and finding the time to learn isn’t difficult

So far as the MCA is concerned, this is the crunch. Examiners are encouraged to demand high standards in this subject, and there’s no reason for a candidate, knowing full well he is to be put on the griddle, not to have the regulations burned into his heart. The best way to be exam-proof is to invest in A Seaman’s Guide to the Rule of the Road, available for modest money from all good chandlers or Bookharbour.com. Place it prominently in the heads some months before the exam and devote five minutes of the shining hour each day to digesting its wondrous contents. The book makes it easy and there’s no excuse for disappointing the Board of Trade!

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RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Prep + MCA/RYA Exam

To attain the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore candidates must pass a practical examination of their skippering ability. A Yachtmaster is capable of skippering the yacht on extended offshore passages by day or night. He or she will essentially be a much more experienced Coastal Skipper and can do the same things more smoothly, for longer periods and in more arduous conditions.

• EXAM PREPARATION

Early in the week the instructor will asses your strengths and weaknesses and coach you in the areas required to pass the examination however our experience normally leads us to work on the following areas; passage planning, man overboard recovery, close quarters handling, skippering techniques, navigation in restricted visibility, pilotage and knowledge of the International Collision Regulations. The instructor will debrief you fully as the week progresses and ensure that you get time to work on those weaker areas. Before joining the course, students should have the pre-requisite experience outlined above, navigation theory to RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster theory level and a thorough knowledge of the Collision Regulations.

The examiner will ask each candidate to skipper the yacht on several short passages and complete various demonstrations of their skippering and sailing ability over the course of the weekend.

0900 Monday until the completion of all the exams which will be no later than 1500 on Sunday. Click here for an example schedule of how you will spend the week.

What's Included:

All food except the evening of joining, wet weather gear and accommodation onboard. Mooring fees are an extra and we suggest that you budget approximately £30 for this course. For details of what you should bring please refer to the FAQ's section .

Support Courses: 

• RYA Sea Survival
• RYA/ISAF Offshore Safety
• RYA First Aid
• PPR Course .

Supporting Books:

Please click here to view books for sale

Next Step: 

RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Theory Course

Duration: 7 days (Monday to Sunday), 5 day preparation and 2 day exam weekend.

Previous Experience Required:  Minimum 50 days aboard, 5 days as skipper, 2500 miles logged, 5 passages of over 60 miles including 2 overnight and 2 as skipper (Half the qualifying sea time must have been conducted in tidal waters). VHF radio operators certificate and a valid first aid certificate. Current theory knowledge to RYA Coastal/Yachtmaster theory.

Course Overview: Preparation and brush up for the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence. Revision of advanced skippering techniques, close quarters handling under power and sail, navigation and pilotage by day and night, man overboard recovery and overall yacht management skills. Ratio 4:1

Click here to view full course syllabus.

Cost: 7 Days £895 + Exam Fee (£241)

RYA Sailing Courses

Rya yachtmaster coastal and offshore – prep course and exam.

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore or RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Certificate – Prep Course & Exam

An RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate is the ultimate sailing qualification for UK sailors and for many aspiring professional sailors around the world. Whether you want the Yachtmaster Certificate of Competency to be able to charter yachts as skipper anywhere in the world, as proof you have reached the pinnacle of your leisure sailing ambitions, or you need it for a sailing career, you will need to pass the exam. It is nautical equivalent of a driving license, no matter if you are into racing yachts, classic boats, super yachts or motor boats.

If you pass and meet the pre-requisites to convert it into a commercially endorsed MCA/RYA Certificate of Competency, you are legally qualified to skipper a vessel up to 24 metres or up to 200 tonnes.

Why do a Yachtmaster Preparation Course ?

Unlike other courses in the cruising programme, there is no formal training to complete in order to become  a Yachtmaster Offshore. Instead, provided that you have sufficient experience and seatime (see pre requisites), you can put yourself forward for an exam to test your skills and knowledge. This exam takes place on an approved yacht with an external RYA examiner testing both your practical skills and your theoretical knowledge over 5-9 hours per candidate, or slightly longer if you are the only candidate being examined.

Our Yachtmaster Prep course has a generous 5 days (more than most schools) and 2 days set aside after the course for those that feel ready to take the exam.

Benchmark for a Successful Exam Pass

If you have not completed a shore based Coastal skipper/Yachtmaster theory course then please check the syllabus to make sure you are confident with your theoretical knowledge (especially Rules of the Road IRPCS)  and the practical application of navigational skills. We can now offer you a Long Distance Yachtmaster Coastal/Offshore Theory Course, which gives you the option of when, where and for how long, you study.

A RYA Yachtmaster Coastal (formerly Coastal Skipper) should have the knowledge to skipper a yacht on coastal cruises but does not necessarily have the experience needed to undertake longer passages.

A RYA Yachtmaster Offshore should be able to enter any well-charted harbour for the first time, with sufficient depth, by day or night. The only way to gain confidence is by practice, particularly at night when skill is required in picking out navigation lights and buoys against a background of shore lights. (If you have colour blindness please talk to us before booking)

With a course over 7 days, your fully qualified instructor will be able to devote plenty of time to your individual needs with regular debriefings and coaching aimed at helping you to raise your standards.

Fee’s for Yachtmaster Certificate preparation

Voyage fee is for the full 5 days of instruction (or 8 days if you go on to do the exam)

Examination fee payable to the examiner -RYA Yachtmaster offshore Exam is £215 and Yachtmaster Coastal is roughly £185 per person (2019).

Yachtmaster Coastal Pre Exam Requirements

Radio Operators Certificate – for example (restricted) VHF Radio Operators Certificate or a GMDSS Short Range Certification or higher grade marine radio qualification.

Valid First Aid Certificate – First Aid certificates held by police / fire or armed servicesare also acceptable.

Seatime – 800 miles logged within 10 years of the examination. 30 days on board. 2 days as skipper and 12 night hours. (half the qualifying seatime must have been conducted in tidal waters)

Yachtmaster Offshore Pre Exam Requirements

Seatime – 2500 miles. 50 days on board. At least 5 passages over 60 miles and acting as skipper for at least 2 of these passages and including two which have involved overnight passages.

Skipper experience – at least 5 days as skipper. (Half the qualifying seatime must have been conducted in tidal waters)

50 Days seatime & 5 days as skipper – 2500 miles logged – 5 passages over 60 miles -including 2 overnight and 2 as skipper.  Qualifying passages must be over 60 miles non stop by the most direct route and involve no change of skipper during the passage.

Bring with you to the exam

RYA logbook or evidence of your sailing experience and qualifying passages

• Passport photo
• cheque or credit card details for Exam fee payable to the RYA
• First Aid Certificate
• VHF Radio Operators Certificate
• You must be over 18 years of age & qualifying experience gained over the age of 15.
• Certification required before the examination:
• VHF Radio Operators Certificate – First Aid Certificate

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• RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Preparation & Exam

National Yachting School  » RYA Sail Crusing Courses  » RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Preparation & Exam

Yachtmaster Offshore is competent to skipper a cruising yacht on any passage during where astronavigation is not necessary.

An RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence is often the ultimate aim of aspiring skippers. It is a well known, highly respected qualification worldwide, proving your experience and competence as a skipper.

To attain the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore candidates must pass a practical examination of their skippering ability. A Yachtmaster Offshore is capable of skippering the yacht on extended offshore passages by day or night. He or she will essentially be a much more experienced Yachtmaster Coastal and can do the same things more smoothly, for longer periods and in more arduous conditions. The theory knowledge required for the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence is the same as that for Yachtmaster Coastal, but considerably more practical experience and skill is required.

The 4 days prior to the exam is run along the same lines as the Yachtmaster Coastal preparation. Your instructor will asses your skills and address any areas over weakness. A high level of boat handling under various conditions of wind and tide is required. Navigation skills should be at the level of Yachtmaster/Coastal Skipper theory and a thorough knowledge of collision regulations is expected. Your instructor will tailor the course to suit your individual needs in order to prepare you for when the examiner steps on board.

After 4 days your instructor will give you a thorough debrief and you should feel confident in your ability to take the exam should you feel ready to do so.

During the exam, your RYA examiner will meet you onboard and talk you through the plan for the day. They understand that you could be nervous and will do their best to allay your fears and make sure you are clear about what they want you to do. They are there to find out what you can do, rather than pick holes. You will be asked to undertake a short passage, but you may have to plan a longer one. In general, you should skipper the yacht in your normal style. If this means putting the kettle on every half hour, then do it!

Your examiner isn’t looking for first-time-every-time success, but you will need to demonstrate competence and a good understanding of how the boat reacts at various situations. Don’t hesitate to change sails or reef, if you think it is necessary for the task.

Whether you are fully in command of the yacht is the most important assessment that your examiner will make. Especially with Yachtmaster Offshore the examiner will be looking for high level of proficiency based on broad experience.

Course Duration: 4 days for the course and 2 days for the exam. Most courses start on Saturday evening and finish on Wednesday afternoon, the exam starts the same evening or the next morning after the end of the course.

Previous Experience Required: 50 days aboard, 5 days as skipper, 2500 miles logged (min. half of it MUST be in tidal waters!), 5 passages of over 60 miles including 2 overnight and 2 as skipper. VHF radio operators certificate (SRC or higher) and a valid First Aid Certificate recognised by the RYA. click here for the list of acceptable first aid certificates

Course Overview: Preparation and brush up for the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence. Revision of advanced skippering techniques, close quarters handling under power and sail, navigation and pilotage by day and night, man overboard recovery and overall yacht management skills.

Minimum age: 18

Course price DOES NOT INCLUDE:

• exam fee paid directly to the RYA (205 GBP for YM Offshore, 177 GBP for YM Coastal)
• examiner's travel expenses from/to th UK (estimated approx. 300 Euro, shared between exam participants)
• food, harbour fees and diesel used for the boat

RYA Yachtmaster

Due to the coronavirus crisis, we are canceling all practical courses in Croatia until further notice. For new course dates, please keep an eye on our website.

Winter courses on Canaries

In NYS we believe that there’s no such a thing as winter in sailing and you can always find a good place to enjoy your hobby any time throught the year. So we offer popular winter courses again, this time on Canary Islands, starting from Tenerife because of the best flight connections.

RYA Sailing Accreditation Rated as the World’s Best

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) sailing qualifications have been voted the premiere sailing accreditation for excellence and global reputation following a recent survey targeting 200 professional yacht and motorboat charter companies. The professional charter companies that were surveyed own and manage in excess of 6,000 charter boats across the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Asia.

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National Yachting School Skola jachtingu s.r.o. Makovskeho namesti 3147/2, Brno, Czech Republic

Phone: +420 731 745 273 Phone: +421 902 896 099

Web: www.skolajachtingu.cz E-mail: [email protected]

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Online Courses

• What is RYA?
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RYA Yachtmaster Offshore

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore is one of the most highly respected and prestigious sailing qualifications in the world and we pride ourselves on training many high calibre Yachtmaster Candidates. Exam Preparation Courses are delivered by one of our fully qualified and extremely experienced RYA Yachtmaster Instructors.

Please click here to see the progression of RYA Sailing Practical Courses and the recommended path for both theory and practical courses.

We have also put together some details notes on The Yachtmaster exam here.

The week starts with an assessment day, when the instructor will gauge your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of the time will be spent improving weak areas in order to prepare you for the exam. You will take command of the yacht on short passages, by day and night. You will be required to navigate in a seamanlike manner, with both efficiency and safety. Your instructor will give you guidance and coaching on boat handling techniques both at sea and in a confined space.

Examiners expect a high level of expertise, particularly in safety critical exercises such as man overboard, or sailing down wind. Your instructor will also ensure that the theory subjects, in particular meteorology, IRPCS, buoyage and passage planning are not new to you.  At the end of the week, you will be given an honest debrief, leaving you confident in your own ability, taking the exam if you feel ready to do so.

At the end of the preparation course, the instructor will leave the process and an Independent RYA Examiner will come aboard to conduct the exam. Every student will be examined on how they skipper the yacht on short passages and complete various other tasks.

Although this is a sailing exam, you will be expected to be familiar with all the vessels systems which includes knowledge of engines to at least the level of the one-day RYA Diesel Engine Maintenance course .

A knowledge of the operation of radar and GPS is also expected.

The examiner will want to see you dock the boat under engine in a variety of circumstances possibly alongside and stern-to. He/she may set you a challenge to dock in a particular place or ask you to choose. He/she will also expect you to be able to handle and turn the vessel in a confined space with awareness of the effects of the prevailing conditions. You will also be expected to be able to handle the vessel under sail in a confined space and this may include sailing on and/or off a mooring, your anchor or a dock. The examiner is looking for good boat control, use of crew, wind awareness and a good lookout for other vessels in the area. Once at sea it is a legal requirement to keep a log. This doesn’t have to be detailed but the examiner will want to see that you know where you are at all times. Don’t be afraid to reef, we are cruising not racing, but at the same time make sure you have enough sail up to keep the vessel going. Also make sure you have practiced your classic navigation as fixing your position, CTS and EP may all come into the exam. Also be comfortable with tidal problems and operation of the GPS, specifically the one on the exam vessel.

Cost is $1695 plus RYA Exam fee of around $300 [depends on exchange rate]. Please click on the ' Training Dates & Booking ' button on the right to check available dates.

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Call us: +441983 280 641

+441983 280 641

Yachtmaster Power Prep Course

To prepare you for the RYA Yachtmaster Power Exam. The Course price included the £241 exam fee.

£2,040

Cowes, Isle of Wight

• Yachtmaster power

Our Yachtmaster Power Prep Course is a one-week practical course to consolidate your practical and theoretical knowledge in preparation for the RYA Yachtmaster exam.

This course is popular with experienced Superyacht Deckhands, crew from the commercial maritime sector, or those with RYA Yachtmaster sail looking to convert to Yachtmaster Power.

The RYA Yachtmaster qualification

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Power Certificate of Competence allows the holder to skipper of a motorboat up to 24 meters in length, 150 miles from a safe haven. Add STCW Basic Safety Training , and you have a qualification to skipper a motorboat up to 200GT, which may be more than 24 meters.

RYA Yachtmaster Theory

To pass the practical exam, candidates must have an excellent knowledge of navigation to RYA Yachtmaster Theory standard or equivalent. If you have not completed the RYA Yachtmaster theory course, we recommend joining our two-week theory and practical course.

Course Overview

Our Yachtmaster Power Prep Course has five days of practical training, putting the theory into practice and learning how to manage the yacht and its systems, mooring, and many other skills required to be a competent skipper. A day-by-day breakdown of what is covered can be found in the key facts below.

The RYA examiner steps on board on the evening of day five; your exam will run over the weekend, finishing Sunday afternoon.

Course prerequisites

You must have the prerequisite miles and experience for the practical prep, which you must document and provide to the examiner before you sit the Yachtmaster Offshore exam. Some essential requirements are:

• Completed 2500 miles in the last ten years.
• Within the 2,500 miles above, you have completed at least five passages (known as qualifying passages) of over 60 miles. You would have been acting as skipper for two of these passages.
• You must hold a valid First Aid certificate.   Please note that if you hold an STCW Elementary First Aid, it must have been issued in the last five years .
• Hold a GMDSS-compliant marine radio license, such as the RYA VHF short-range radio certificate.

Not sure about the requirements for RYA Yachtmaster?

We have a comprehensive guide on the  Yachtmaster Offshore and Coastal exam requirements . If you are still unsure, don’t hesitate to contact us for further guidance.

The RYA Yachtmaster Exam

The Yachtmaster exam is conducted by an RYA examiner independent of Flying Fish. Your instructor will not be onboard for the duration of the exam. The RYA examiner will look at all areas of the Yachtmaster syllabus and assess each candidate’s practical and navigational skills. Your examiner will complete a report form detailing skills covered during the exam. 

The Solent offers a great training ground with numerous challenging ports, tides, and traffic. Because of the conditions, you will improve your overall knowledge of skippering a small motorboat. 

Flying Fish is based in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight. The Island offers protection, which means we can operate in almost any weather conditions.

There are a maximum of four customers  on this course.

Before you join the course

• You must be 18 years old to sit the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam.
• Have completed a minimum of 2,500 miles before you sit the Yachtmaster offshore exam. At least half the sea time must be in tidal waters on a Motorboat between between 7 and 24m in length .

Note: If you have been working on a Superyacht/a vessel over 24m, then at least 1,250 sea miles gained on the larger vessel can be used towards the 2,500 required.

Please click the link below for more details on recording your sea miles, converting from sail to power, and more.

Requirements for the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam  

For RYA Yachtmaster’s to work as professional skippers, you must apply for commercial endorsement through the RYA. If you plan to work in the maritime sector, please see our article on how to apply for Commercial endorsement .

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Power certificate of competence allows the holder to skipper of a Motorboat up to 24 meters in length, 150 miles from a safe haven.

Add STCW Basic Safety Training , and you have a qualification to skipper motor boats up to 200GT, which may be more than 24 meters.

Not all candidates have the sea time or command experience for the RYA Yachtmaster  Offshore   Certificate .

Candidates with 800 miles logged choose the Yachtmaster  Coastal certificate . Furthermore, some skippers have no intention of going offshore and want to stick to coastal waters.

If you own a motorboat, have no intention of going offshore, and are looking for a qualification that provides confidence, we recommend the Yachtmaster Coastal route.

This course is suitable for RYA Yachtmaster Coastal.

Fish Tales is a Fairline Phantom 40′. She has two Volvo Penta 370 HP diesel engines. She is a shaft-driven boat with a bow and stern thruster to help with maneuvers.

Fish Tales has two 12″ Garmin 8600 series plotters, a 24″ Garmin HD Radar, and an engine and rear-facing camera. All the instruments connect to a TV in the saloon so the entire crew can visualize the navigation exercise.

She is a comfortable, well-equipped boat with heating, a generator, and all the safety equipment you would expect to find on a CAT 2-coded vessel.

If you choose to stay with us, you will stay in one of our self-catering crew houses in Cowes, which are comfortable and centrally located.  There is plenty of space to complete homework and chat through the day with others on the course. Our accommodation is a 5-minute walk from the town and our training centre.

All customers booked onto our Yachtmaster Prep courses have their own room.

• All training, fuel and berthing fees included
• 100 miles logged
• Accommodation is not provided onboard.

£231 Yachtmaster Offshore/Coastal exam fee is not included.

• Introduction to the boat, systems, and safety producers onboard
• About the exam, what to expect
• Engineering, engines, control systems, and what to look out for
• Boat handling
• Marina berthing
• MOB and recovery at sea
• Engine checks/safety brief
• Navigational exercises in the Solent
• Picking up mooring buoys
• MOB and recovery
• Night-time navigational exercises
• Marina berthing/confined space boat handling
• Single engine berthing
• Navigational exercises day-time
• Night Navigation exercises
• Marina berthing/confined space exercises
• Boat handling exercises/single-engine berthing
• Revision of the Yachtmaster syllabus

Friday afternoon, the RYA examiner arrives

Saturday/Sunday

The examiner will join the boat, and your instructor will step off. The Yachtmaster Power exam will last between 12 and 48 hours depending on the number of candidates being examined, a maximum of 4 in any 2-day session. The exam will take place within the Solent. The examiner will ask each candidate to perform a series of practical and navigational exercises based on the weather and tidal conditions of the day.

What our previous customers have to say

What an absolute honour and pleasure it was being a part of Flying Fish family for the 2 weeks I completed with them! From the professional, helpful and attentive staff to fun, laughter and memories.

Staff are amazing and so kind! Great course and great accommodation. Lovely location and an all round great friendly atmosphere.

Book Yachtmaster Power Prep Course today!

Finance options available

Contact us for more information , about financing your career, or click on the icon below, and we will contact you.

If you prefer to pay by card, choose a start date, then review your booking.

• Choose an option
• 26th May 25

Accommodation

Single room in shared accommodation.

Accommodation is sold out for the dates you have selected, please contact us to discuss your options

Hold your space for 48hrs

Still not sure.

From training to career advise we’ll be happy to sit down and give you the guidance you need!

Have you completed your VHF course?

If you hold an STCW Elementary First Aid Certificate, it will need need to be refreshed if more than five years old.

If you have not completed the RYA Yachtmaster Theory and want to brush up on your navigational skills, why not join our two-week Yachtmaster Power, Theory, and Practical Course.

RYA VHF Radio Course

Rya yachtmaster theory course.

The RYA Yachtmaster theory is an advanced course for anybody who wants to master offshore navigation.

Yachtmaster Power Theory and Practical

Combines both RYA Yachtmaster Theory and the practical prep week.The Course price included the £241 exam fee.

£2,460

Yachtmaster Preparation Course and Exam

Course outline.

Elite Sailing has long experience and an excellent record of success in preparing candidates for the RYA Yachtmaster examination. We understand the standards required and know how to coach to achieve them. But in the end you have to have the knowledge and skill and demonstrate that on the day. If you are unsure about your readiness for the exam, call us.

We will always give you clear, objective advice on your skills relative to the exam criteria and then work with you to achieve your objectives. For the prep courses we employ only the most experienced Yachtmaster Instructors working under the guidance of a Yachtmaster Examiner.

A preparation course is intended to identify and address any weaknesses and polish skills and performance to achieve a high probability of success at the exam. Candidates must arrive on the course already equipped with the basic knowledge and skill and in reasonably current practice. There is no time to teach professional knowledge or skills from the beginning.

Format Options

• Yachtmaster (Sail) – 5 Days Prep and up to 2 days Exam
• Yachtmaster (Powerboat) – 1 Day Prep and 1 day Exam

Full details

Full details of syllabus and qualifying experience are provided in your RYA Log Book G158 and described in the detailed pdf on this page.

Minimum Experience requirements

YM (Coastal): 800 miles, 30 days at sea, 2 days as skipper.

YM Offshore: 2500 miles, 50 days at sea, 5 as skipper and 5 qualifying passages over 60 miles including 2 as skipper and 2 overnight.

YM (Advanced Powerboat): Two years relevant experience including night pilotage. (As a guide 30 days, 2 days as skipper, 800 miles, 12 night hours)*

*If you hold an RYA Advanced Powerboat Course Completion Certificate the seatime is reduced to: 20 Days, 2 days as skipper, 400 miles, and 12 night hours.

NOTE:  Course availability information temporarily disabled. 

Prices and latest dates for 2024 are:

Yachtmaster Prep and Exam (Sail):  £915 (7 days) 

Dates for 2024 are:

Sat 12th – Fri 18th Oct 2024 (Fully Booked)

Sat 2nd- Fri 8th Nov 2024 (2 Spaces Left)

Dates for 2025 are:

Mon 9th – Sun 15th Jun (Spaces Available)

Mon 4th – Sun 10th Aug (Spaces Available)

Sat 11th – Fri 17th Oct (Spaces Available)

Prices do not include the RYA Yachtmaster exam fees which are currently (2024):

YM (Coastal): £208  YM (Offshore):   £241  Partial Re-exam: £120

More dates coming.  Call the office or email to check spaces and book.

Course Availability Table

Select the course and dates you would like to enquire about from the course availability table, this will populate the message box below (you can also add your own message too).

Course Enquiry Form

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Great school, fantastic skippers, and easy to reach from London! Really can recommend the weekend courses if you are busy working.

- Leonard Wossnig

Friendly but highly professional sail training, both shore-based and practical. Fred and the team are now my "go-to" RYA trainers of choice. After all, if you learn to sail in the Medway and Thames Estuary, in British weather, in February and March, you can probably sail anywhere!

- Gareth Draper

Positive: Communication, Professionalism, Quality, Value 100% recommended, good people dedicated, learnt a lot from Paul my instructor and Fred the boss.

- Richard Collis

Absolutely amazing experience. I took part in 2 days Milebuilder. Well prepared. It’s a pleasure to learn from such experienced people like Steve who was a skipper. Highly recommend and hope to return soon.

- Piotr Kurzawa

I've just come back from my first weekend for competent Crew and wow what a great experience. I definitely think I’ve got the sailing bug now. I was nervous before I started the course due to never sailing before. Also, I thought I'd be meeting people completely different from myself, and I wouldn't gel I am covered in tattoos and talk like someone from the cast of Harry brown 😂but everyone was sooo cool and the skipper big Steve was a proper lad and a great teacher! Spoke to us through the whole process, and he also allowed us to make mistakes and build our confidence to get it right. 👌

- David Barrett

Copyright © 2024 Elite Sailing, sailing courses for all abilities, All rights reserved. Elite Sailing is a Trading Name of Allan Yachting Limited Website Design by mad creative

Course has been added to your enquiry form.

Yachtmaster Prep Week

• General Description
• Important details
• Enrolment Form

The Yachtmaster Offshore Prep Week prepares experienced sailors for the Yachtmaster Offshore or Yachtmaster Coastal Exam. This is not a teaching course, but rather a preparation course with review of your existing skills and polishing it to RYA standards. The Prep Week is held over a period of 5 consecutive days on board, with daytime and night time navigation.

During the week we review your existing sailing experience while developing additional skills to manage the vessel using RYA principles and practices to the appropriate level of competence. Areas covered include but are not limited to: sailing of the vessel in different weather conditions, Man Over Board exercises, safety and emergency procedures, leadership and management of the crew, provisioning, navigation exercises such as blind navigation and passage planning, a review of the functioning of the diesel engine, radar, and other situations one might encounter as a skipper . We will review relevant theory such as the International Rules for Preventing Collisions at Sea, communications, navigation and various terminology.

From our base in Antigua, you will sail out of Jolly Harbour and practise navigating in St. Johns Harbour, around the north of the island to Long Island and then back down to Falmouth and English Harbour. Daily practice will also include docking in different conditions.   Do not expect to log a 60 mile passage during this practice week, or to have many miles added to your logbook, as we concentrate on skippering skills and not distances.

All of our practical sailing courses  are limited to four students on board .  This allows us to give you  maximum individual attention  and for our  instructors to create a bespoke sailing experience for each and every one of our students.

Groups of 5 can be accommodated on our Dufour 44’ should you wish to book together and enjoy the course as part of a larger group.

We often schedule complementary courses, should you need them, prior to or immediately following the Offshore/Coastal Prep Week, such as 

RYA First Aid ,

RYA SRC Radio

RYA Diesel Engine

As you complete the week, you will continue to the RYA Yachtmaster Exam, which we try to schedule after a one or two day break following the course. At our school, we require proof of completion of the RYA Coastal Skipper/ Yachtmaster offshore theory course before enrolling in the YM Prep course. We recommend completing the theory course online (the most convenient option) or in the classroom beforehand.

Prerequisites to sit for the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Exam (completed in the last 10 years)

• 800 Nautical Miles of which minimum 400 in tidal waters
• These may be reduced to 400nm of which minimum 200 in tidal waters if you hold a RYA Coastal Skipper Certificate of Completion
• 2 days as skipper
• 12 night hours
• 30 days at sea
• SRC/VHF Radio Certification
• First Aid Certification within the last two years
• 17 years old at time of exam
• You can order paper or e-books on RYA SHOP – it is not mandatory, but there are several books that might be very usefull before and during your preparation.

Prerequisites to sit for the Yachtmaster Offshore Exam are: (completed in the last 10 years)

• 2,500 Nautical Miles of which 1,250 in tidal waters
• 5 passages of more than 60 miles of which 2 as skipper
• 2 overnight passages
• 50 days at sea
• You can order paper or e-books on RYA SHOP – it is not mandatory, but there are several books that might be very useful before and during your preparation.

Once you have obtained your RYA Yachtmaster Offshore/Coastal certificate of competence, you can request the Commercial Endorsement. We can help you with the process and advise on the Professional Practices & Responsibilities (PPR) course, which is one of the requirements for this Endorsement.

• Jolly Harbour Marina,
• Sorrento Building
• Antigua and Barbuda
• +1 268 723 9343
• [email protected]

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Professional Yachtmaster Offshore

Advance your maritime career.

UKSA’s Professional Yachtmaster Offshore qualification is a bespoke, ALL-INCLUSIVE, comprehensive training package that will provide you with the skills you need to establish your career in the maritime industry.

About the Professional Yachtmaster course

This unique, premium qualification has been developed by Richard Baggett , one of the world’s top yachting instructors, and his highly experienced team at UKSA. The course is constantly monitored and adapted to ensure it remains relevant and always covers the current requirements for you to start working in the industry straight away. UKSA’s highly regarded Yachtmaster course opens up the most opportunities for employment within the maritime sector. These opportunities include, but are not limited to, working on superyachts, flotilla, tug boats, and employment in the Merchant Navy.

• 16 weeks training
• 70 days afloat
• 2,500 tidal miles covered
• Navigation training
• Radar training
• Basic engineering and safety training
• Careers guidance from our professional team
• Networking within the industry

Qualifications gained

• RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore (Sail) or RYA Yachtmaster Coastal (Sail)
• RYA Day Skipper Shorebased
• RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Shorebased
• Personal Survival Techniques
• Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting
• Elementary First Aid
• Personal Safety and Social Responsibility
• MCA Proficiency in Designated Security Duties
• RYA Short Range Radio
• RYA Diesel Engine Maintenance
• RYA Powerboat Level 2
• RYA Professional Practices and Responsibilities

Commercial Endorsement

To work professionally within the maritime industry, you must be commercially endorsed. To commercially endorse your RYA Yachtmaster Certification at the end of your training, you will need to complete the RYA application for Commercial Endorsement Form, but you will gain all qualifications needed to commercially endorse your ticket during training.

Why train with UKSA?

When you train at UKSA you experience our world-class tuition and over 35 years of maritime industry insight.  Also included in your course fee :

• Accommodation in our new  Sea.Change building when shorebased for the duration of your course *
• Freshly prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner provided each day
• Purpose built classrooms and navigational training simulators all on one site
• Career support both during and after your time at UKSA
• Networking on site throughout your time at UKSA
• Access to our fully equipped gym

*  subject to availability, we reserve the right to provide alternative accommodation on site

attend an open day

Dates and pricing

Entry requirements

You must have an ENG1 seafarer medical fitness certificate to work at sea (click  here   for more details) and to enable you to apply for your RYA Commercial Endorsement (click  here  for more details). We recommend all students secure this before attending a course.

There are no other pre-requisites necessary to start the course. All that we ask is that you have enough sailing experience to know that you want a life at sea. If you don’t have any previous experience, we recommend you talk to our course advisors on  +44 (0)1983 203038  or  [email protected]

Funding available

We are here to support you

  Your course adviser will be able to provide you with the details, assess your eligibility and put you forward if you are a suitable candidate. Call us to talk about your options with our experienced course advisers on  +44 (0)1983 203038 .

Frequently asked questions

How to get a commercial skipper’s license

The recommended route to obtaining a commercial skippers license is to do two training courses which consist of the Day Skipper Shorebased course and the Day Skipper Practical course. These are both included in the Professional Yachtmaster offshore course. The first covers the theory and knowledge-based training, such as meteorology, navigation, pilotage techniques and collision regulations; the second is putting this theory into practice in addition to developing the practical skippering skills of crew management, boat handling, practical pilotage and passage making.

What is a Yachtmaster?

A Yachtmaster is a person with a wealth of maritime knowledge who can cope with plain sailing and motor cruising and is also able to cope in demanding situations. Our Yachtmaster offshore qualification is recognised and respected all around the world and is the ultimate aim of many skippers, both professional and recreational.

Who are the RYA?

The RYA (Royal Yachting Association) are the national body for dinghy, yacht and motor cruising, all forms of sail racing, RIBs and sports boats, windsurfing and personal watercraft and a leading representative for inland waterways cruising.

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RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail – Everything You Need To Know

What Is the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail?

The RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail ticket is a highly useful and credible sail cruising qualification. Administered on behalf of the UK Maritime and Coastgaurd Agency by the RYA the qualification is accepted as a worldwide standard. To gain an RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail qualification you must sit a practical exam. 

What Does the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail Allow You to Do?

Gaining an RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail will allow you to work commercially on small sail cruising vessels.

The RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail exam certifies that you are competent to skipper a sail cruising yacht on coastal voyages within 20nm of a harbour. 

How Can You Sit a Yachtmaster Coastal Exam?

The exam can be organised via the RYA to be done on your own vessel or via an RYA training centre, to be done on an RYA training vessel. It should be noted, that to complete the exam on your own vessel, your vessel must be up to an appropriate safety standard.

Most RYA training centres offering the RYA Cruising Scheme offer some form of pre exam preparation or coaching for those looking to take an RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail exam.

These courses are often referred to as ‘RYA Yachtmaster Prep’ courses. This is unique within the RYA training framework in that it does not have a fixed course syllabus, length or course completion certificate.

Who Can Do the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail Exam?

The RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail exam is open to anyone who meets the minimum criteria, with all experience within the last 10 years.

• 17 years of age or older
• 30 days spent at sea
• 800nm sailed, with at least 50% in tidal waters
• 12 night hours
• 2 days as skipper

If you have exceeded all of the above by large margins, then the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail exam might be for you.

If you have the miles, but not the skippering experience, it is suggested that you charter a small sailing vessel in order to gain the skippering experience.

Additionally, exam candidates must also hold a relevant GMDSS VHF certification and an RYA First Aid certificate or recognised equivalent.

Can You Go Straight to the RYA Yachtmaster Exam?

You can indeed jump straight into the RYA Cruising Scheme at this stage, however, it is imperative that you understand the levels that are required of you, both in your knowledge and practical skills.

It is suggested that as a minimum you have completed (and passed) the RYA Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Theory course as the knowledge in here is both required for you to be at the level required, but will be formally tested during your RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail exam, both orally and in practical applications.

What Do You Need to Know before Attending a Course and Exam?

You, of course, need to be a suitably experienced skipper and this involves meeting the prerequisites mentioned above to be eligible. You should be able to handle your vessel competently in close quarters and at sea. You should be comfortable applying this in various day and night time passages.

As mentioned, it is strongly recommended to have completed the RYA Coastal and Yachtmaster Theory as the depth of knowledge gained from this shore based course will be tested throughout your exam. 

How Long Does a Course and Exam Take?

The exam itself can take anything from 6 hours to 2 days depending on how many candidates are being examined on one vessel at a time. Up to 4 candidates can sit the exam at once and this would last for a maximum of 48 hours if so.

An RYA Yachtmaster Prep course is generally four and a half days long and is usually directly followed by the practical exam.

Is There a Set Syllabus for the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail Prep Course?

No, this is the one time that while there is a recognised ‘course’, there is no syllabus. It is up to the experienced instructor on the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail Prep course to tailor the learnings to your needs. This is more about refining your skills rather than teaching new ones.

You should be honest with yourself and your instructor in order for learnings throughout the week to be tailored to improve yourself on any weak areas that you may have.

What Should I Expect from a Prep Course?

These courses run as a standalone course and while there may be students on another course, generally everyone onboard is a candidate for an RYA Yachtmaster Exam. The courses should however be run with no more than 4 students on board.

The content will depend on the needs of all students and is aimed at fine-tuning existing skills rather than teaching new ones. This will involve a lot of night time cruising and navigation, carrying out challenging boat handling while using theory knowledge and ensuring general skippering skills are up to scratch.

There is a basic syllabus that is used to help shape the exam content, but in reality, you can be tested on anything from the RYA cruising scheme within the exam.

Before choosing the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail Prep course you need to be honest with yourself and your own abilities. While on the course you need to take on the advice and guidance given by the instructor on what areas need work. If you speak to your instructor before the course, they can tailor the instruction to your needs.

What Should I Expect on an RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail Exam?

On the exam, you will be given the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and competence. You will be expected to take full responsibility for your vessel and crew. The examiner will be looking for you to demonstrate competence and show your broad range of experience.

The exam will be an intensive experience and even when you are not the designated skipper, you will still be asked questions and observed and examined as a participant of the crew.

During the exam you will be asked to complete various tasks, ranging from leaving the dock, skippering a short passage, casualty recovery, night pilotage and even blind navigation. Additionally, you will be tested on theoretical aspects such as how to deal with an engine failure, knowledge of your vessel’s stability, meteorology and IRPCS.

As a potential RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail, these tasks are ones that should now be second nature to you and should take minimal time to plan while the theoretical knowledge should be able to roll off your tongue. 

What Is the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail Exam Syllabus?

The following topics make up the basis for the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail exam syllabus. IRPCS, safety, boat handling, seamanship, responsibility as skipper, navigation, meteorology and signals.

But, as mentioned above, anything from the whole RYA cruising syllabus scheme can be tested.

What Is the Cost of an RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail Course and Exam?

As ever, many schools differ in price. We would recommend that you take a look around at the various options and find what suits your needs the best. Cheapest is not often better.

This can range from knowing if you will have to share a cabin while onboard to whether food and berthing charges are included to how many other students you will be sharing your week with.

The exam fee is usually not included, which is currently £208.

Where Should I Do My RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail?

As always there are many thoughts and pros and cons on this, and as a potential RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail, you should consider yourself experienced enough to sit the exam anywhere. However, if you choose to sit the exam in an area that you are familiar with then you will take a lot of the stress out of learning a new area and start with a small advantage of having that all important local knowledge at your disposal.

What Happens If I Struggle on the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail Prep Course?

Your instructor should be able to update you on your ability levels throughout the course. They will be highly experienced and it is suggested that you listen to their advice given.

If you are learning something for the first time you should consider if you are ready for the exam. Talk to your instructor and they will be able to guide you on if you are ready for the exam or if they would advise further training.

What Is the Pass Mark for the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail Exam?

There is no pass mark as such and the examiner will be looking to see that you are a competent and complete skipper, capable of looking after both your vessel and crew in a safe manner.

Every exam is different and no examiner will be setting out to fail any candidates, but they must ensure and check that each candidate is able to demonstrate their ability, knowledge and skills in a safe and timely manner.

If you were to fail to reach the levels of an RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail certificate of competence then the examiner will give you a thorough debrief complete with action points to work on before you have another attempt at the exam. 

What Comes after RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail?

After completion of the exam, you will have gained the credible achievement of an RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail certificate of competence and you can get this commercially endorsed by adding a sea survival certification, a personal medical and a PPR course, all of which, along with your GMDSS VHF and First Aid should be sent off to the RYA for certification upgrade. This will now allow the holder to skipper a vessel commercially, in coastal waters, up to 20nm from a harbour.

The next step is of course to get out on the water and to keep learning, keep gaining experience and keep improving on the skills and knowledge learned so far. No skipper is the finished article and we should all keep seeking to improve.

Once you have gained more experience, knowledge, mileage and time on the water it will be time to progress to the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail exam.

Releated Posts

RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Theory – Everything You Need to Know

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Motor – Everything You Need to Know

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RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Exam Preparation Course

Product code:, rya yachtmaster offshore course.

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE ARE UPDATING AVAILABLITLITY AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN, HOWEVER DUE TO HIGH DEMAND, WE WOULD RECCOMMEND CALLING US ON 02380 457733 to CHECK AVAILABILITY PRIOR TO BOOKING ONLINE. THANK YOU

The instructor will tailor the course to your needs but our experience usually leads us to emphasize the following subjects: Passage Planning, Skippering Techniques, Man-overboard Recovery, Meteorology, Close Quarters Handling and Pilotage in Restricted Visibility.You are strongly advised to arrive for the course already having a thorough knowledge of the Collision Regulations, particularly in relation to lights, shapes and signals. The successful Yachtmaster Offshore candidate is an experienced yachtsman who has a theoretical knowledge to the level of the  RYA Yachtmaster shore based course  and will be able to skipper a cruising yacht on passages up to 150 miles from port. The RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competency is acknowledged throughout the World as the top sailing qualification.

Yachtmaster Pre Course Requirements

Before attempting the RYA / MCA Yachtmaster Offshore exam, you should have the following minimum experience;

50 days onboard sailing yachts over 24 feet

2,500 nautical miles (half of these should be in tidal waters)

5 non-stop passages over 60 miles - you should have skippered at least two of these and two should have been overnight

5 days of skippering

Theoretical knowledge and certificates

You should possess a good theoretical knowledge to the level of the  RYA Yachtmaster shore based course . This includes a thorough knowledge of the IRPCS & radar. Candidates are required to hold an in date  First Aid  certificate (valid for three years from date of issue) and hold a VHF licence or  Short Range Certificate  - SRC 

 Exam preparation teaching ratio on board 4:1

Minimum age: 18

Not included in the course fee:   Although accommodation is provided onboard, the mooring fees are split between the students. Wet weather jackets & salopettes are available to hire for £7.50 per day. A selection of accompanying course books & logbooks are available to purchase.

The RYA exam fee is not included and is payable prior to the exam, via the RYA online payment scheme. The exam fee is currently £241.00.

Students should allow for one evening meal ashore on a five day course. All other catering including three evening meals are provided onboard. 

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• Certificates of Competence
• RYA Yachtmaster

What is an RYA Yachtmaster?

The RYA Yachtmaster® Certificate of Competence is often the ultimate aim of aspiring skippers. It is a well known, highly respected qualification worldwide, proving your experience and competence as a skipper. Unlike other qualifications in the cruising programme, there is no formal training course to become an RYA Yachtmaster. Instead, provided you have sufficient experience, certification and seatime, you can put yourself forward for an exam to test your skills and knowledge. There are a number of RYA navigation courses that will help you prepare for your exam. Many RYA Yachtmaster candidates also choose to book themselves into an RYA training centre for some specialised exam preparation training, but this is not compulsory.

You are capable of coastal passages

You are competent to undertake passages up to 150 miles offshore

You have the knowledge and experience to sail worldwide

• Arranging your exam

The Coastal and Offshore exams are practical tests afloat, and the Ocean is an oral exam. Find out more about qualifying passages, exam fees and how to book. 

With an RYA Yachtmaster Coastal, Offshore or Ocean Certificate of Competence you can start a career at sea.

You'll need to have the appropriate qualification for the vessel and area of operation.

If you want to work commercially, you'll need a commercial endorsement.

Find out more about other RYA professional qualifications.

• Getting the most from a Yachtmaster Fast Track course

Can you really become an RYA Yachtmaster in as little as 14 weeks? Check out our top tips for getting the most from a Yachtmaster Fast Track course...

Call us: +44 (0)1326 211311

RYA Yachtmaster Coastal & Offshore Exam Preparation Training

At Falmouth School of Sailing, we offer exam preparation courses which help you hone your practical skills to prepare for taking the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal and RYA Yachtmaster Offshore examinations.

At this stage, you will have already completed the qualifying miles needed for each qualification, so the focus of our preparation weeks are to make sure that you are confident and fully prepared in each area of the syllabus. Your instructor will work closely with you and your fellow students to ensure that your individual areas of concern and revision are covered.

Our courses are usually run over five days typically beginning at 17.00 on Sunday, with the examination stage starting on Friday afternoon, and finishing on Saturday.

All of Falmouth School of Sailing’s RYA Yachtmaster Coastal and Offshore preparation weeks and exams take place in Falmouth, Cornwall. The range of sheltered cruising waters of the Carrick Roads and the Fal Estuary provide a perfect training and testing area.

Your practical examination will be taken by an independent local RYA examiner who will test you on boat handling, man overboard procedures, passage planning, crew handling, blind pilotage and knowledge of lights and signals amongst other things.

The RYA Yachtmaster Coastal and Offshore qualifications will unlock the door to bare-boat charter worldwide, provide an entrance into the yacht industry, if commercially endorsed and give you a wealth of experience as a skipper.

Accommodation is provided on board the yacht during the course and lunch will be provided every day throughout the course duration. Evening meals will be provided for all but 1 of the nights. This allows one night for you to dine out with your fellow crew members (this meal will be at your own expense). Dinner is always an important meal after a busy day on the water. We encourage the cooking roles to be shared out equally amongst the boat, making it a team effort. We will always try our best to cater for individual dietary requirements wherever possible, however, at times offerings may be limited due to catering for multiple dietary requirements in a confined space.

Yachtmaster Coastal Pre-Examination Requirements

Documented minimum sea time completed on a seagoing or sailing motor yacht (as appropriate) in the last 10 years:

• 30 days at sea on a vessel less than 24m LOA, which may be reduced to 12 days at sea on vessels less that 24m LOA, or substituted with 30 days at sea on yachts under 500gt if an RYA Coastal Skipper Practical course completion certificate or an RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Certificate of Competence is held.
• Two days as skipper on a vessel less than 24m LOA.
• 800 miles, which can be reduced to 400 miles on vessels less than 24m LOA or substituted with 800 miles at sea on yachts under 500gt is an RYA Coastal Skipper practical course completion certificate or an RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Certificate of Competence is held.
• 12 night hours.

For information on qualifying passages please visit www.rya.org.uk/training/certificates-of-competence/qualifying-passages

Minimum Exam duration: 6-10 hours for one candidate. 8-14 hours for two candidates.

Minimum Age : 17 at the time of exam.

Yachtmaster Offshore Pre-Examination Requirements

Documented minimum sea time completed on a seagoing sailing or motor yacht (as appropriate) in the last 10 years:

• 50 days at sea on yachts up to 500gt which may be reduced to 25 days if the candidate already holds an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence.
• Five days as skipper on vessels less than 24m LOA, which may be reduced to three days if the candidate already holds an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence.
• 2,5000 miles on yachts up to 500gt, which may be reduced to 1,250 miles if the candidate already holds an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence.
• Five passages over 60 miles long, which must include two overnight passages and two as skipper, which may be reduced to three passages including one overnight and one as a skipper if the candidate already holds an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence.

For information on qualifying passages, please visit: www.rya.org.uk/training/certificates-of-competence/qualifying-passages .

Minimum Exam duration:  8-12hours for one candidate. 10-18 hours for two candidates. No more than two candidates can be examined in 24 hours and no more than four candidates can be examined in one two-day session.

Minimum Age : 18 at the time of exam.

For both the levels of examination, candidates will also need:

• A passport sized photo
• A VHF/DSC certificate
• A recognised First Aid certificate
• The appropriate exam fee payable to the RYA

Costs & Dates

*Exam fee is not included please see fees below.

Duration: 5 Days plus examination (7 days)

From: Sunday 1700 – Sunday 12:00

RYA Exam Fees: 

Yachtmaster Coastal £223

Yachtmaster Offshore £256

2024 Course Dates:

Please contact the office to discuss dates and availability.

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RYA Yachtmaster Practical Course

* Your own cabin * Full Board * Top quality fresh food * State of the art wet weather gear * No hidden extra charges * Award winning Instructors

• What to expect
• Course Content
• What to bring

There are two types of Yachtmaster qualification: Yachtmaster Coastal and Yachtmaster Offshore.

To obtain a Yachtmaster Coastal qualification you need the knowledge required to skipper a yacht on coastal cruises but not necessarily the experience needed to undertake longer passages required for Yachtmaster Offshore.  The theory is the same for both, however this course is suited to those with fewer hours of sea time.

To obtain a Yachtmaster Offshore qualification you will need to be ‘a yachtsman or woman competent to skipper a cruising yacht on any passage that can be completed without the use of astronavigation’.  A Yachtmaster Offshore should be able to enter any well-charted harbour for the first time, with sufficient depth, by day or night.

With only 3 students on our 8-berth boat you will have a cabin all to yourself, ensuring a comfortable environment for all crew members aboard for the duration of the course.

As with any exam, the more practice you have beforehand, the more confident you will feel. Before your exam, be more adventurous than the usual weekend trip to your favourite anchorage.  Enter some new harbours to refine your pilotage.  Attempt the occasional night entry and be aware of the problems.  This course will ensure that you receive specific tuition and preparation for your Yachtmaster exam.

Here are some of the things you could be tested on:

• MOB under sail
• MOB under engine
• pick up buoy under engine
• pick up buoy under sail wins and tide plus wind against tide
• choose a buoy and pick it up
• anchor under sail
• sail off a buoy
• find unlit markberth forwards
• berth backwards
• tight turn using wind
• tight turn using prop wash
• lights…safe water mark… long flash 10s, iso 10s, etc.
• Follow a contour line
• Spring on and off berth
• tidal heights
• synoptic chart
• Pilotage plans and passage plan

We endeavor to supply as much of what you need as possible. We supply pillows – but not pillow cases. We supply wet weather gear – but not footwear.

So here is a guide as to what you might bring:

• A sleeping bag
• A pillowcase
• A personal torch
• Any essential medication
• Please ensure you have plenty of warm clothing bearing in mind that it is colder out on the water, and you may get wet
• A pair of non-marking deck shoes or trainers
• Non-slip/non-marking waterproof sailing boots. These can be bought in most chandlers for about £45 [optional] (available here )
• Sailing gloves [optional] (available here )
• Waterproof clothing (unless you have asked us to provide it)
• Notebook, pen and pencil
• Sunscreen, sunhat and sunglasses / warm hat, gloves
• RYA Logbook (highly recommended). We can provide one for you at cost.
• Passport if doing a Coastal Skipper Course or a Channel Hop
• Travel/cancellation Insurance - essential if doing a Coastal Skipper course or a Channel Hop. Click for Haven Knox Johnson Insurance
• PASSPORT PHOTO for Day Skipper / Coastal Skipper candidates with name and date of birth on reverse

Pack your gear in a soft bag or holdall, i.e. not a hard suitcase, as stowage on board is limited.  We provide all safety equipment such as lifejackets and harnesses etc.

RYA Yachtmaster Practical Course Gallery

What people are saying

Same as Ever- Best of the best Christian was superb - I learnt so much Thank you Angus

A big thank you from us Colin. We really appreciate your flexibility when we had to re schedule due to my illness, that was a massive relief. The yachts were clean, well maintained and nice to sail. Will was great as our instructor. We really enjoyed the course as a family.

Thanks for posting the Padstow harbour photo on the blog, it makes me feel proud the fly the banner!It was a brilliant week last week, from calm waters near Lundy to rough seas around Land’s end.

Just an important bit of feedback for you... our skipper, Adam Waugh was fantastic, and is a good ambassador for your company. From the welcoming text on Sunday morning asking of our arrival time, the personal welcome at the jetty. He made it perfectly clear that safety was his main concern, obviously an important point, but glad to be told it.

The week continued with his professionalism and experience, and the character mix on Galliver was perfect. This is always a worrying point for everyone. On leaving the boat, we all cleaned up, but Adam personally went the extra mile. It was immaculate, and smelt good too!

Good people are always hard to find, I would recommend his guy as a skipper!

Thanks again for a good week.

Best Wishes,

Dear Colin,

Please find my course feedback form attached.

Thank you very much for the course, also particular thanks to Gary who was outstanding!

Many thanks Vlad

Colin and Jon were very patient as I took some time to "get it" with chartwork. I found it very hard work and far more time consuming than I thought it would be.  The online videos were very helpful when doing homework.

Great fun. Don't know how Colin remained so calm with a student parking his boat.  A brilliant experience including the food.

A great course. Bev is a great instructor and gave me great support and encouragement even when things didn't quite go according to plan.  Now I am truly a Yachtmaster!!

Paul was a great skipper, calm and efficient....and he can cook!  This trip has given me the confidence to take my wee boat further afield.

An excellent outfit, well equipped with good boats and brilliant instructors, that is small enough to give a warm personal service but big enough to cope with the full gamut of yachting experiences.

Hi Colin Thanks for sharing this picture 🙂 Let me say once again what a pleasure was meeting you. I felt you were genuinely interested in our success and learning and treated us as friends rather than customers. Thank you All the best with sailing and life, I’m sure our path will cross again soon Stefano - Yachtmaster Offshore Candidate

Dear Colin and Jan, Thank you for forwarding the photos. I also wanted to thank you for a fantastically well organised sailing week in a beautiful location. The peace and calm is such a contrast to sailing on the south coast. The sighting of over forty seals on a sand bank was a real highlight. The instruction was clear, informed and very supportive. I particularly appreciated, as a competent crew trainee, the trust placed in me to try all the tactics expected of the yacht masters. We had a good humoured team on board, many laughs and everyone pulled their weight. Your commitment to deliver an excellent experience was underlined by the provision of very good fresh food with our instructor magically transforming into chef in between imparting sailing skills. I wish you and your family all the best and hope to see you again once I have mastered some theory and quite a few knots.

Hi Colin Just a quick email to say what a great weekend I had, Dave was great. And the food was Fantastic. Thank you

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RYA Yachtmaster Preparation

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence is one of the most useful and credible of all yachting qualifications. It thoroughly tests your ability as a skipper, and can therefore appear daunting to potential candidates. Our RYA Yachtmaster Preparation course aims to refine your existing skills and abilities as a skipper and sailor. We will assess and work on skippering and navigational techniques, close quarter sailing skills, man overboard recovery, pilotage, passage planning and much more. At the start of the week the instructor will assess your abilities, strengths and weaknesses, through coaching and practise during the five days these areas will be strenghtened. You will be debriefed on a daily basis and through discussion any areas which require improvement will be the focus. With practice and thorough preparation, you should be able to relax sufficiently to let your skills shine through any exam nerves.

Our preparation course takes place over 5 days with FREE use of the yacht at the end of the course for the exam, (this could be up to 2 days for 3 candidates). There will be a maximum of 3 students ensuring you get sufficient expert instruction and practise time. All of our courses are all inclusive ( NO HIDDEN EXTRA COSTS ), see below for details. Whilst we will do our very utmost to prepare you we want you to have the best chance of achieving your Yachtmaster ticket and with that in mind we recommend that you read the pre-course requirements and skills below.

Course Information

• What's Included
• Topics Covered
• Pre-course Requirements
• Pre-course Skills
•     5 days Top Notch Tuition!!
•     Accommodation on board
•     All food on board - three meals a day plus snacks and refreshments
•     Home baked tray bake (when Lou is able!)
•     All mooring fees and marina costs
•     Use of waterproof clothing
•     Use of personal safety equipment
•     Any incurred fuel costs
• International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea
• Pilotage in good and restricted visibilty
• Passage planning plus passage making considerations
• General seamanship, including maintenance
• Responsibilities of the Skipper

The course will start and end at  Gosport Marina - PO12 1AH

We typically visit some of these ports and harbours

• Southampton
• 800 logged miles (reduced to 400 if you already hold the Coastal Skipper Certificate)
• 30 days sea time 
• 2 days as Skipper
• 2,500 logged miles 
• 50 days sea time
• 5 days as Skipper 
• 5 passages of over 60 miles including 2 overnight and 2 as Skipper
• Execute MOB under sail 
• Pick up a mooring buoy under sail in various conditions of wind and tide
• Leave a mooring buoy under sail in various conditions of wind and tide
• Drop the anchor under sail in various conditions of wind and tide
• Weigh the anchor under sail in various conditions of wind and tide
• Reef sails under sail
• Handle a boat in confined areas under sail and power

How do I Book?

Check out the available course dates and then contact us or book online. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact Lou or Jim for more information.

Testimonials

A great sailing weekend with Nomad with bespoke training tailored around our specific requests. Very approachable, great fun, and super-flexible to adapt around what we wanted and the prevailing weather conditions. I've also done various RYA courses with Nomad which have all been great - THE place to go for Day Skipper, Comp Crew, Yachtmaster training whether on the water or in the classroom

Jim and Lou Barden are fantastic instructors. I've now done competent crew and Day skipper with them as well as some other sailing. They factor in diets, nice marinas, tailored training, and social activities (pubs in the evening!). I wouldn't go anywhere else for my Yachtmaster training.

I recently completed my coastal skipper theory with Jim from Nomad, in a well structured course conveniently located in central London. I've subsequently been out in the Solent with them, benefitting from fantastic downwind sail training by Lou. Yachtmaster arranged with them for next year, they were really flexible in our planning for this.

Garibaldi Castle is a sprawling medieval construction that dominates the small town of Khryashchevka, Samara. Built in the Neo-Gothic Style the intricate facade, Historical exhibitions, and dazzling stories that runs through the Castle walls will leave you in wonder. Discover an all-new land that celebrates the magic of ancient history. Relive the romance of the Renaissance Era and magic of the past as the heroic tales of rebellion and royalty come to life with Garibaldi Castle’s extraordinary sculptures and gorgeous scenery. You’ll be swept away like never before! Here at Garibaldi Castle your wildest fantasies become a reality. Discover the imminently glamourous and magnificently quirky around every corner of our castle. Reflect on the regal beauty rich legacy of our world’s history. Every decorated archway and castle corridor leads to new medieval explorations that bring the vision to life.

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Discover a place like no other and experience an all new, one-of-a-kind adventure. Nestled in the small town of Khryashchevka, Samara, Russia a medieval secret is waiting to be unveiled. Come join us for the enchantment, fun and adventure. Be apart of Garibaldi Castle and make memories that will last a lifetime.

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World-class amenities unite with sheer luxury and unique surroundings, to make sure that there’s nowhere you’d rather be. Let the story unfold as you explore the castle grounds on a magical horse and carriage ride, all while taking in the captivating views of medieval architecture that encompass you.

STORIES TO SHARE !function(){switch(CHOSEN_THEME){case THEMES.NEMESIS:replaceParentInnerHTML(' ',"news-title-NaN");break;case THEMES.ALLY:replaceParentInnerHTML(' ',"news-title-NaN")}}();

There’s a regal atmosphere amidst the Garibaldi Waterfront Oasis where the sunsets cast a sparkle over the Tranquil Samara River. If you dare to spoil yourself, take a voyage on the new Garibaldi Yacht, a decadent treat not to be missed. Feel the light breeze and enjoy spectacular waterfront views from our lounging area where modern meets traditional that will leave you telling stories for years to come.

The Directly Observed Therapy Short-Course (DOTS) strategy in Samara Oblast, Russian Federation

Affiliation.

• 1 HPA Mycobacterium Reference Unit, Clinical TB and HIV Group, St Bartholomew and Queen Mary School of Medicine, London E1 2AT, UK. [email protected]
• PMID: 16556324
• PMCID: PMC1440858
• DOI: 10.1186/1465-9921-7-44

Background: The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines Russia as one of the 22 highest-burden countries for tuberculosis (TB). The WHO Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) strategy employing a standardised treatment for 6 months produces the highest cure rates for drug sensitive TB. The Russian TB service traditionally employed individualised treatment. The purpose of this study was to implement a DOTS programme in the civilian and prison sectors of Samara Region of Russia, describe the clinical features and outcomes of recruited patients, determine the proportion of individuals in the cohorts who were infected with drug resistant TB, the degree to which resistance was attributed to the Beijing TB strain family and establish risk factors for drug resistance.

Methods: Prospective study.

Results: 2,099 patients were recruited overall. Treatment outcomes were analysed for patients recruited up to the third quarter of 2003 (n = 920). 75.3% of patients were successfully treated. Unsuccessful outcomes occurred in 7.3% of cases; 3.6% of patients died during treatment, with a significantly higher proportion of smear-positive cases dying compared to smear-negative cases. 14.0% were lost and transferred out. A high proportion of new cases (948 sequential culture-proven TB cases) had tuberculosis that was resistant to first-line drugs; (24.9% isoniazid resistant; 20.3% rifampicin resistant; 17.3% multidrug resistant tuberculosis). Molecular epidemiological analysis demonstrated that half of all isolated strains (50.7%; 375/740) belonged to the Beijing family. Drug resistance including MDR TB was strongly associated with infection with the Beijing strain (for MDR TB, 35.2% in Beijing strains versus 9.5% in non-Beijing strains, OR-5.2. Risk factors for multidrug resistant tuberculosis were: being a prisoner (OR 4.4), having a relapse of tuberculosis (OR 3.5), being infected with a Beijing family TB strain (OR 6.5) and having an unsuccessful outcome from treatment (OR 5.0).

Conclusion: The implementation of DOTS in Samara, Russia, was feasible and successful. Drug resistant tuberculosis rates in new cases were high and challenge successful outcomes from a conventional DOTS programme alone.

Publication types

• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
• Antitubercular Agents / therapeutic use*
• Cohort Studies
• Directly Observed Therapy*
• Drug Resistance, Bacterial
• Isoniazid / therapeutic use
• Prospective Studies
• Rifampin / therapeutic use
• Risk Factors
• Treatment Failure
• Treatment Outcome
• Tuberculosis / drug therapy*
• Tuberculosis / mortality
• Tuberculosis / virology
• Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / epidemiology
• Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / etiology
• Antitubercular Agents

Lysanderhöhe (Am Trakt Mennonite Settlement, Samara Oblast, Russia)

Lysanderhöhe was a village of the Am Trakt Mennonite settlement in the province of Samara , Russia , founded in 1864, consisting in 1897 of 22 farms, with a population of 119. A part of the population joined the trek to Turkestan in 1891, while others immigrated to America. In 1914 the population was 146. Franz Bartsch , the author of Unser Auszug nach Mittelasien, was the teacher of the village school. After the Revolution of 1917 the cultural and economic level of the village began to decline. Some of the inhabitants went to Canada and others were exiled. Little is known about the fate of those who remained and the later status of the village.

Bibliography

Dyck, Johannes J. based on a text by W.E. Surukin. Am Trakt: A Mennonite Settlement in the Central Volga Region . Translated by Hermina Joldersma and Peter J.Dyck. Winnipeg: CMBC Publications, 1995.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon , 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. II, 709.

Surukin, W. E. und Johannes J. Dyck. Am Trakt, Eine Mennonitische Kolonie im Mittleren Wolgagebiet .North Kildonan, Man., 1948.

Cite This Article

Krahn, Cornelius. "Lysanderhöhe (Am Trakt Mennonite Settlement, Samara Oblast, Russia)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online . 1957. Web. 18 Sep 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Lysanderh%C3%B6he_(Am_Trakt_Mennonite_Settlement,_Samara_Oblast,_Russia)&oldid=144294 .

Krahn, Cornelius. (1957). Lysanderhöhe (Am Trakt Mennonite Settlement, Samara Oblast, Russia). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online . Retrieved 18 September 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Lysanderh%C3%B6he_(Am_Trakt_Mennonite_Settlement,_Samara_Oblast,_Russia)&oldid=144294 .

©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.

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